The present invention relates to an information display unit for a construction machine and a display control unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information display unit for a construction machine, which is provided in a cab of the construction machine and is capable of displaying plural kinds of information such as body information and maintenance information, as well as to a display control unit for the information display unit.
Recently, construction machines including hydraulic excavators, cranes, tunnel excavators, crushers for wood, rocks, etc., or soil amending machines for amending the contaminated soil and the soil in sterile land have been practiced in the more advanced electronic form with further improvements of performance and an increase of functions. Also, for the purpose of facilitating management of body information, increasing the work efficiency, or improving maintenance, electronic control units have been developed and mounted for each of various functions. Those electronic control units have respective devices for providing information to an operator. In other words, the functions and number of information providing devices provided in a cab have been increased. This gives rise to problems in that a burden imposed on the operator is increased with an increase in the number of items of information and more complicated manipulation, that it becomes difficult to mount necessary electronic control units within a limited space in the cab with an increase in the number of the electronic control units, and that plural types of information providing devices independent for each function must be developed and mounted, thus resulting in an increased cost. To overcome those problems, a display unit is proposed which displays plural kinds of information on one display screen in a concentrated way.
For example, JP-A 5-288648 discloses a managing and monitoring unit which has a plurality of display modes for displaying body working information, maintenance information, etc., and which is capable of changing the contents to be displayed upon switch manipulation.
Also, JP-A 5-287782 discloses a multi-function display monitoring system in which a display panel comprises a display portion and a switch portion. The monitoring system monitors excavation situations of an excavator, such as a power shovel, and displays a symbolic illustration in imitation of the excavator along with numerical information. The contents of displayed information regarding the front attitude can be changed upon switch manipulation.
Further, JP-A 10-103925 discloses an excavation control method employing an excavation information monitoring unit for an excavator, in which the contents to be displayed are changed with a touch panel.
In construction machines, for the purpose of facilitating management of body information, increasing the work efficiency, or improving maintenance, the functions and number of information providing devices provided in a cab have been increased. To cope with such a tendency, a display unit for displaying plural kinds of information on one display screen in a concentrated way is proposed, but there are several problems with techniques so far proposed for displaying information.
With the monitoring unit disclosed in JP-A 5-288648, a plurality of display modes are selectively changed depending on a vehicle status or in response to an operation instruction, and an image having the contents corresponding to the selected display mode is displayed on one screen. However, because the contents displayed on the screen are completely altered with a display mode change, the operator cannot see plural kinds of information at the same time, for example, by additionally displaying maintenance information while working information is being displayed.
Also, the monitoring units disclosed in JP-A 10-103925 and JP-A 5-287782 similarly display information of one function only, such as body information of an excavator, on one screen, and alter the displayed contents by changing an entire image on the screen.
Further, because those monitoring units are mounted in the cab as equipment independent of an ordinary instrument panel, the operator must carefully look at both the ordinary instrument panel and the monitoring unit depending on situations. This point has invited problems in viewpoints of operability and safety.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information display unit for a construction machine and a display control unit for the information display unit, which can display plural kinds of information in a combined and selective manner and enable an operator to confirm the information with higher efficiency.
(1) To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an information display unit for a construction machine, the information display unit being provided inside a cab of a construction machine and having a display portion capable of displaying plural kinds of information including body information and maintenance information, wherein a screen image displayed on the display portion comprises one main screen and a plurality of sub-screens; the main screen displays information regarding one of a plurality of information categories in detail; the plurality of sub-screens correspond to at least the information categories other than the information category, for which information is displayed on the main screen in detail, and display information regarding the corresponding information categories in the simplified form; and input means for selecting and changing the information category to be displayed on the main screen is provided, whereby with manipulation of the input means, information regarding the category displayed in one of the plurality of sub-screens is displayed on the main screen in detail and information regarding the category, which has been so far displayed on the main screen, is displayed in arbitrary one of the plurality of sub-screens in the simplified form.
Thus, by providing one main screen and a plurality of sub-screens, displaying a plurality of information categories in the detailed and simplified forms, and enabling plural items of displayed information to be changed from one to another, it is therefore possible to display plural kinds of information in a combined and selective manner, and to improve efficiency at which the operator confirms the information.
(2) In above (1), preferably, the main screen has a size occupying a substantial proportion of the display portion, and the plurality of sub-screens are smaller than the main screen.
With that feature, plural kinds of information can be efficiently displayed in one screen image.
(3) In above (1), preferably, the plurality of sub-screens display typical information contained in the corresponding information category.
With that feature, the information regarding the corresponding category can be displayed in the simplified form.
(4) In above (1), preferably, at least one of the plurality of information categories includes combination of plural items of sub-category information belonging to the relevant information category, the main screen selectively displays at least one of the plural items of sub-category information, and the sub-category information displayed on the main screen is selected and changed with manipulation of the input means.
With those features, it is possible to increase the number of kinds of information categories that can be displayed on the main screen, and to display plural kinds of information in a combined and selective manner.
(5) In above (1), preferably, a screen image displayed on the display portion has a main display area and a sub-display area that are located in preset positions, the main display area displaying the main screen, the sub-display area displaying the plurality of sub-screens, and the plurality of sub-screens are disposed respectively corresponding to the plurality of information categories.
With those features, the main screen and the sub-screens are displayed in respective constant positions so that the operator can see those screens with more ease.
(6) In above (5), preferably, one of the sub-screens in the sub-display area corresponding to one of the information categories, for which information is displayed on the main screen in the main display area in detail, displays symbolic illustrations for operation guide, which are in imitation of arrow keys and serve as aids for changing the information categories from one to another with manipulation of the input means.
With that feature, the information category displayed in the main display area can be easily changed with manipulation of the input means.
(7) In above (5), preferably, the plurality of sub-screens in the sub-display area serve as index tags for the information-categories displayed on the main screen in the main display area, and are designed with layout in imitation of index tags for the main display area.
With that feature, the information category displayed in the main display area can be easily selected by utilizing the sub-screens as guide tags.
(8) In above (5), preferably, at least one of the plurality of information categories includes combination of plural items of sub-category information belonging to the relevant information category, the main screen in the main display area selectively displays at least one of the plural items of sub-category information, and the sub-category information displayed on the main screen is selected and changed with manipulation of the input means.
With those features, it is possible to increase the number of kinds of information categories that can be displayed in the main display area, and to display plural kinds of information in a combined and selective manner.
(9) In above (8), preferably, when at least one of the plural items of sub-category information is displayed on the main screen in the main display area, one of the sub-screens in the sub-display area corresponding to the information category, to which the displayed sub-category information belongs, displays symbolic illustrations for operation guide, which are in imitation of arrow keys and serve as aids for changing the information category with manipulation of the input means, and that one sub-screen and the main display area display symbolic illustrations for operation guide, which are in imitation of arrow keys and serve as aids for changing the sub-category information with manipulation of the input means.
With those features, even with an increase in the number of kinds of information to be displayed, the information displayed in the main display area can be easily changed with manipulation of the input means.
(10) In above (1), preferably, the plurality of information categories include at least meter information and abnormality warning information.
With that feature, the operator is not required to carefully look at an instrument panel separately mounted inside the cab for confirming the meter information, or the instrument panel mounted inside the cab can be itself dispensed with. Therefore, the operator is free from the necessity of carefully looking at the instrument panel and the display unit, thus resulting in an improvement of operability and safety. Further, because the abnormality warning information is displayed, maintenance is facilitated.
(11) To achieve the above object, the present invention also provides a display control unit for an information display unit for a construction machine, the information display unit being provided inside a cab of a construction machine and having a display portion capable of displaying plural kinds of information including body information and maintenance information, the display control unit comprising processing control means for performing control such that a screen image displayed on the display portion of the information display unit comprises one main screen and a plurality of sub-screens, the main screen displays information regarding one of a plurality of information categories in detail, and the plurality of sub-screens correspond to at least the information categories other than the information category, for which information is displayed on the main screen in detail, and display information regarding the corresponding information categories in the simplified form; and changing means operating such that when input means for selecting the information category to be displayed on the main screen is manipulated, information regarding the category displayed in one of the plurality of sub-screens is displayed on the main screen in detail and information regarding the category, which has been so far displayed on the main screen, is displayed in arbitrary one of the plurality of sub-screens in the simplified form.
With those features, similarly to above (1), it is possible to display plural kinds of information in a combined and selective manner, and to improve efficiency at which the operator confirms the information.